Aristotle na di most important pesin for history?

Aristotle na di most important pesin in history?

E fit be say Aristotle na di most influential pesin wey don eva live? Na wetin British philosopher John Sellars dey certainly.

Im argue say di impact of di ancient Greek thinker, plenti sotay we barely notice how much of our world wey im ideas shape.

From politics to science, literature to logic, di influence of Aristotle dey evriwia.

Im bin study marine life, wey lay di foundation for biology. Im bin examine different political systems, were make political science start.

Im analysis of storytelling for Poetics still dey shape modern cinema. And for logic, im principles of reasoning lay di groundwork for evritin from philosophy to di digital age.

Sellars, wey be professor for Royal Holloway, University of London, know say im claim dey bold. But im insist say di nobody fit match di impact of Aristotle . "Na im bin shape di way we dey tink," im tok.

Di bold claim

For one article for Antigone magazine, Sellars make one striking statement: "Aristotle no be just di greatest philosopher of all time—im be di most important human being wey ever live."

Na extraordinary claim, and im still chook mouth for dis mata inside im book Aristotle: Understanding di World's Greatest Philosopher.

"Wen I start to study philosophy, I know say Aristotle dey important, but im resemble pesin ey dey intimidating," Sellars recall. "Anytime I try to read about am, I go dey lost almost immediately."

Over time, im realize say Aristotle need patience. "You need to sabi how to read about am," im tok. "Slowly."

Di aim of im book na to guide readers through Aristotle ideas and point out im lasting influence.

A life of learning

Along wit Socrates and Plato, Aristotle form a part of di golden triumvirate of classical philosophy.

Dem born am for northern Greece, im bin move to Athens wen im dey 18 years to study for Plato Academy, wia im spend 20 years as both student and teacher.

Even though im respect Plato, Aristotle develop im own views.

Afta im mentor die, im comot from Athens to study nature on di island of Lesbos. Im reputation bin grow well-well, and dem later chose am to teach di son of King Philip of Macedon, wey go becom Alexander di Great.

Wen Alexander start im wars, Aristotle return to Athens wia im open im own school, di Lyceum.

Im spend im final years teaching, writing, and researching bifor im die at di age of 62.

Although only a fraction of im work survive, e still amount to nearly a million words—an extraordinary intellectual legacy.

A scientific thinker

Aristotle no be just a philosopher but also one of di first scientists.

Long bifor microscopes and genetics, im bin systematically study di natural world, classifying animals and plants, and e lay di foundation for biology as an academic discipline.

Of course, dem bin prove some of im conclusions wrong. But Sellars argue say Aristotle real achievement na im method - as im bin dey insist on observation and evidence, instead of ideas wey be guess work, to guide understanding.

Dis principle still remain for di heart of modern science.

A legacy for politics and literature

Aristotle bin apply dia same systematic approach to politics.

Im bin collect and compare constitutions from different city-states to understand wetin bin make some societies shine while odas bin dey fail. Dis method, based on evidence rather dan opinion, dey ground-breaking and e bin lay di foundation for di social sciences.

Im influence on literature bin equally dey profound. For Poetics, im bin analyse Greek drama, im break stories into essential elements - beginning, middle, and end - a structure wey still dey shape films and books today.

Di father of logic and ethics

Aristotle work on logic na one of im most lasting contributions.

Im bin introduce key principles, like di idea say any statement must be either true or false - wetin we dey call now as di Law of di Excluded Middle.

Dis simple but powerful concept underpins evritin from philosophical debates to di binary code behind computers.

Aristotle bin also tackle one of di biggest questions of life: how we suppose live?

In Nicomachean Ethics, I bin argue say human dey succeed wen dem balance reason, social connections, and intellectual curiosity.

A good life, im beliv say, na one wey we develop self-control, engage wit our communities, and pursue knowledge.

Di influence wey we no dey perceive again

Sellars beliv say Aristotle ideas dey embedded and na part of modern thought and we no dey notice dem again.

"Im concepts dey evriwia," im tok "but we no dey take dem serious."

So, Aristotle na di most important pesin for history?

Sellars make a strong case. But for di end, e dey up to di reader to decide - na Aristotle na one great thinkers bifor, or im be, as Sellars dey argue, di most important human being for history?